This year we have another great four bands for your rock and roll pleasure. Performing in aid of a great cause will be:

• Special Ops (www.opsmission.com)
• Emery Street (www.myspace.com/EmeryStreet)
• Vinyl Hero (www.myspace.com/vinylheroband)
• The In & Outs (www.myspace.com/theinnouts)

Now the coolest part of this whole thing is that you are not going to just see four great bands but that by paying the entrance fee of one blanket or a warm article of clothing you will be directly help keep the homeless of Montreal warm this winter. Last year Blankfest donated over 500 items of clothing and blankets to the Old Brewery Mission and this year we are looking to up that number significantly so if you want to hear some great live rock and roll and do some good then head out to Bar St. Laurent 2 on February 19th with blanket in hand and help us rock the joint.

Somebody out there who is having a rough time of it would thank you if they could….

The latest Groovegrinder album is available now and it is called The Daily Grind. I have been playing this an awful lot recently, usually several times a day and goes like this…. Track1 “Funky Bone” is a perfect opening track and introduction to their funkaliscious style of feel good rocking R & B which leaves you wanting much more, it is foottappingly feel good song that uplifts and seduces ending with a fun voice box manic giggle. Track 2 “One Hundred Miles” is a story of a man in despairing to be home, rolling along in fine Groovegrinder style once more and as in all of their tunes proving the quality of this band. Track 3 “Lazy Man” downs the tempo into a bluesy ballad that that foot a tappin’ while as on all the songs proving the quality of this band of musicians who work together so sweetly creating a sound so rich, joyful and addictively funky. Track 4 “Pocket Full of Stars” is yet another traditionally grooving R & B style feel good masterpiece with some excellent harmonica work from Jon complimenting his great vocals which top the perfectly rolling backbeat so beautifully laid down by Adam on the drums and Philip plying his collection of basses so well. Ross works the guitar sound so beautifully, all in the Groovegrinder sound is truly ‘alive’ with so much heart and soul. Track 5 “Once Bitten (Twice Shy)” has more of a bluesy feel, the song title tells this and it is a showcase for both Ross and Jon, Philip and Adam provide a rich, sweet treacle like tight & smooth backdrop to the whole Groovegrinder sound. Track 6 “No 3rd Degree” has an intro which is proof to what I have just written, Groovegrinder get back into the funky groove with this number, full of hard-hitting catchy choruses and Grooveriding rythyms. Track 7 “8pm in The Cadders” a seductively Smokey tune that rolls away so dreamily floating along on deep but funky bass rythyms laid down by Philip. Track 8 “Sweet Mama Sugar Cane” keeps the funky beat going strong and brings the tempo back up. As always there are some lovely licks from Ross on this number and Jon has a lot of fun here also, being accompanied by Ross so well on the vocals, as on all the tracks. Lastly, track 9 “Get Anther Round In” closes this fine collection of songs to perfection. Deeply R & B with Jon getting right into the swing with his harmonica and vocal style so finely tuned and worked. An R & B and blues laden masterpiece that completes the album leaving you wishing for more.

I was invited by Groovegrinder to accompany them to a gig of theirs in a venue at a local seaside resort, and gladly accepted the invitation.  Groovegrinder played a great couple of sets lasting the better part of two hours with a short cider and cigarette break in-between. During these two sets Groovegrinder played all the numbers from The Daily Grind along with some tunes from the forthcoming EP available in January 2010. One of these was a tune titled “Yo! You Right”, this is a kickin’and jumpin’ little number, one that really sets the pace going so well. I am looking forwards to its release excitedly. There were a few covers that suited their style and blended perfectly with the set being finely executed, the most notable was “Blackberry” originally by The Black Crowes.

In a nutshell, Groovegrinder really are a great band playing a great set and keeping feel good  R & B and Rock’n’Roll alive in fine fashion while adding their own funky style.  They are keen to add more bookings as they just love to play live, you can contact them through www.myspace.com/groovegrindergg Or www.groovegrinder.co.uk. Or Email groove_grinder@hotmail.co.uk.

Seems to me the last batch of bands I’ve seen have been a then and now type of comparison that I’ve quite enjoyed studying. Seriously, out of the last dozen bands or so, most of them have I’ve seen way back when and then waited at least 10 years to see them again. Motorhead, Kiss, Helix, Headpins, GWAR, Stone Temple Pilots, Our Lady Peace… there’s probably a few more but I think you’ve heard enough already. Well you have to hear about one more. One of my all time favourite top notch acts of all time, Metallica.

Back in 85, my cousin dropped a couple albums on me and said I must try these out. They were “Kill em All” and “Ride the Lightning”. 3 notes into “Hit the Lights” and I knew I had just found the band of all bands. The most awesome sounding heavy metal unit that combined great lyrics with some totally original riffing, instrumentals and leads that would bring any musician to their knees.

I made it a point to promote this new band wherever I possibly could. I just wanted to share the awesomeness that was Metallica with everyone. I was constantly making compilation tapes of their stuff and dropping them on people. I made sure I had at least one Metallica tape on me at all times and would thrust it into the gaping maw of any cassette tape player I could find.

Those Northern BCer’s just weren’t ready for it yet though. Still firmly grasped by the claws of Judas Priest, AC/DC, Iron Maiden and the other “mainstream” metal of the time, these guys just couldn’t handle the “THRASH” metal that Metallica was pimping out. It wasn’t until Ozzy took Metallica on tour that these guys finally started to take notice. Funny though, the guys I hung out with all the time were all musicians, and we all knew Metallica was the shit. Listening deep past the heaviness revealed a talent, rawness and attitude that no other band was sporting at the time.

They showed a lotta personality and never took anything too seriously with hilarious photo shoots by the infamous Ross Halfin depicting the band on a lighter side with his instantly identifiable fish-eye lens shots of the band goofing around and having fun. Then the shit hit the fan.

Two things happened that changed the band forever. Two crucial pieces of that old unit died. For one and on the humanity level of it all, by far the worst of the two occurrences, was the death of the incredibly talented, one of a kind, Cliff Burton. When he was crushed by a tour bus accident in Sweden, Metallica never looked, sounded or felt the same. It’s almost as if the band lost it’s sense of humour. Maybe not all of it, but a good chunk flew right out the door and Metallica became a much more serious band.

Gone was a truly gifted bass man and an undeniable grounding influence on the band but before that happened, Metallica lost their sound. That one of a kind sound that no other band could imitate. Not even themselves. James had a Marshall tube amp that had it’s own sound and a character of it’s own. The first two albums were recorded with this amp in the studio to get that distinctive guitar sound that NOBODY could duplicate and EVERYBODY tried.

Just listen to any song on “Kill em All” then any song from “Ride the Lightning” and then slap on “Master of Puppets” and the difference will punch you right in the nuts if it hasn’t already. Getting over the death of an original member and the loss of the old sound, would kill a lesser band but Metallica rose above the whole thing and propelled itself into a whole new level of confidence and power that took the band to the highest heights of achievement in the music business only dreamt about by most musicians.

I finally got to see the guys in 1989 on the “Justice For All…” tour with Queensryche and Dokken opening. The show was at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton and we were totally disgusted that every time we went to light up a smoke, a security guard was on our asses threatening to kick us out. This, of course, meant we couldn’t fire up a joint and thoroughly enjoy the experience and it really took the wind out of our sails and pretty well ruined what was supposed to be the concert of all concerts for me.

Fast forward, 20 years later, waiting in a small area just outside of centre stage with a photo pass and some great equipment that I actually know how to use, waiting to see Metallica once again. I know most of their catalogue inside and out. I can jam most of the tunes on the drums and I know more than a few of their lyrics so singing along is not a problem.

So what’s a guy supposed to do when he’s standing in front of one of his all time faves with only 3 songs to shoot/rock out? ONLY 3 songs. In Metallica’s world that’s about 45 minutes! As much as I just wanted to rock out, I knew I had a job to do in getting as many great shots as I possibly could before going up to the rafters to review the show.

The band put on a heavy rotation of their latest album “Death Magnetic” with a showing of 6 of the 10 tunes the album has to offer. And they’re great tunes too. Every one of them. One thing for sure that Metallica is still as strong as ever is the songwriting. Most bands die out and their creativity loses it’s sting after a while but Metallica’s has always been there. They’ve always pulled something outta the bag for every album they’ve ever done. I don’t care what anyone says about any of their albums, they’re all incredible in their own way and if Death Magnetic is any indication, it’s fuckin far from over.

Personally my faves were the oldies. From those first two albums. It was so cool hearing “Fight Fire With Fire” and “Whiplash”… oldies that you’d think couldn’t or wouldn’t even be played these days. “One” totally brought the place to it’s knees with the incredible pyro show and the crescendo of the song building to the frenzied ending that still stands as one of their finest to this day. “Sad But True” reminded us that Metallica is as heavy as they come. That drop D tuning has a way of bringing a whole new meaning to the word heavy.

The band was tighter than a Scotsman. On numerous occasions I saw the guys smiling their asses off genuinely showing they were having a great time out there. The guys at times interacted onstage like brothers. Robert Trujilo, bassist, at one point stomped over to Lars Ulrich on drums and rubbed his bald forehead while they both laughed. Trujilo feels like he should have been in the band from the very beginning, and knowing what I think of Cliff Burton that is saying A LOT. That’s not to knock Newsted either, but the ex Suicidal Tendencies bassist has really found a home with the best metal band of all time.

James n Lars squared off face to face rocking out, smiling and enjoying themselves. This notorious duo who love and hate each other like only brothers do. Lead guitarist Kirk Hammett, the quiet little brother of the band spent most of his time basking in the cheers of his dedicated fans, smiling and rocking out, all the while slicing us apart with his incredible abilities and talent on lead guitar.

For any metal fan who has or hasn’t seen Metallica, this is a tour you just can’t miss. Opener, Lamb of God is a worthy unit to fire up the ceremonies. Metallica hasn’t jacked the prices out of this world so there’s no excuse why anybody can’t go and see them. All the elements are there, now all you need to do is plug yourself in and just go for it.

Mike Forbes
Libra Photography
Rebel Reviewer Dot Com

As of today (26/10/09) it is eighteen days until Rock Out has its first gig at the Cheese and Grain Hall in Frome, Somerset UK on Friday the 13th of November this year. I must admit to being anxious and a bit nervous about the whole thing. So much has gone into it since December/January 2008/9 when I had the dream which inspired the whole thing alongside so much inspiration from bands and friends of mine on various networking sites. However I am confident that this project will be a great success and achieve its goal to raise funds for Cancer Research UK while providing an additional promotional platform for so many brilliant and inspirational independent/unsigned bands and artists who I have befriended while networking and working here at www.rockandrollreport.com as Intense Nick (UK Correspondent).

Full details and a great many ‘free’ downloads from many willing and supportive bandmates are available at the recently made Rock Out website, www.inrockout.com, do please take a look at this and enjoy the generosity of the bands. All that is asked is that you show appreciation by using the ‘Donate’ button on the ‘favour for a Favour’ page, but this is not essential, just highly useful and the best way to show appreciation for the involved bands generosity and to show support for the project. This set up is likely to change very soon to ramp up the incentive to donate.

The more support this project gets, the more likely it is to carry on, and genuinely and sincerely hope that it does, there are just so many great bands involved now, even if they are just awaiting patiently for the project to stage them.

Notable bands include the three who are to perform at Rock Out 1, I AM BODHi, Le Cul and Janey Summer, who is top of the bill. Also the Buffalo Kings who sadly had to withdraw from the first set due to other unavoidable commitments. Le Cul deserve a special mention as they are traveling all of way from Copenhagen to the west of England to play for the cause.

Other bands who deserve a big mention here are Johnfish Sparkle, who has offered to travel from Italy to perform for the cause, Anubis from the Midlands UK as do the Fores and Beyond Redemption. Four Year Beard, from New Jersey, has been so inspirational and generous.

I thank all the bands involved along with everybody who has helped to support and promote this event and its very worthy cause, Cancer Research UK. Rock Out is registered there,

Registration no. 400268521

Thanks,

Intense Nick (Nick Giles)

Twelve years after I entered Varsity Arena in Toronto to catch the spectacle that was Marilyn Manson, I finally found myself in a position to take in his show once again and see how things have, or haven’t, changed.

One thing that definitely changed was the fact that the Christians were nowhere to be found this time around. Twelve years ago, Manson was the Antichrist so they lined up parallel to us heathens all the way down the other side of the street and shouted bible verses and condemned us all to hell.

Now my idea of Christianity is such that you can sum it up with one question to prove or disprove someone “acting” in a Christian like manner. That question is, “What would Jesus have done?” For some reason I just can’t picture Jesus standing across the road from a pile of freaks screaming at them to go home or forever burn in the fiery depths of hell.

I had just scored free tix to go and shoot some pics of Mr. Manson and company and I didn’t even really know or fully understand what he was all about. To me, Manson was just the over amped inflated version of Alice Cooper. Alice could scare you with images of spiders n snakes back in the 70’s but these days, a guy’s gotta really go out on a limb to freak someone out.

Sure some of Manson’s show back then was a little over the top. Slicing himself up with a broken bottle, if he actually did that, was pretty wild. But when he tore up the bible and threw it all over the place, I thought that was kinda bad but really I think he was just making a point that it’s only a story.

Hell, even Tony Iommi punched Ozzy Osbourne in the nose for doing that one time. So one has to look at the evil men that comprised Black Sabbath and re-evaluate. Would they REALLY be devil worshipers if one of them actually chastised another for doing such a hedonistic thing?

So it proves to me again that this supposed EVIL guy/band is really just a normal guy/bunch of guys who are cashing in on controversy and fear. What’s the matter with that? Our fuckin government does that to us every day! N1H1 anybody?

So really when you look at all the horridly evil bands like Slayer, Rob Zombie, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Kiss (Knights In Satan’s Service) and Manson himself, one must wonder if they’re all in the same boat.

We KNOW the guys from Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden are about as far from devil worshipers as you can get. Sure they all have songs about Satan in some form or other, and album covers which can be construed as Satanic or just ARE Satanic, but if you’ve ever seen “Family Jewels” or “the Osbournes” on their shows, you’d realize they’re just fuckin people.

But what about a guy like Marilyn Manson? I’m of the opinion that a lot of the shit floating around about Marilyn Manson is more of a made up story to perpetuate a negative interest amongst the media and have something “bad” to talk about even in the Entertainment section.

Or maybe Manson IS into Satan worshiping and sacrificing virgins. One may never know. I read his autobiography, “Long Road Out of Hell” and I really didn’t see anything other than his visits with Anton LeVey that pointed to the guy being a devil worshiper.

On the show “Bowling for Columbine”, Manson truly seemed like the only guy who made any sense with his interview as he hit the nail squarely on the head of a few points he was asked about. And HE was the one they tried to blame it all on.

It’s just my opinion but this is what I think Marilyn Manson really stands for. To me, he is the embodiment of a million improperly answered and unanswered questions. This is just scratching the surface of the barrel of questions but I don’t wanna get right down n dirty with em all.

Why is the speed limit only 60k on that 3 lane stretch of highway? Why do I have to pay $75 for a fuckin STICKER every year to prove that my car is STILL mine? Why is our justice system not based on right and wrong but who hires the better Liar? Why is money more important than our environment? Why would a company be forced to recall and destroy a huge shipment of the most energy efficient vehicle ever made? Why is our medical system geared towards supporting the drug companies as opposed to natural alternatives which actually treat the problem, not the symptom?

You get the point. Now take all the answers, and unanswers and what do you get? One pissed off S.O.B. asking WHY? And that S.O.B. is Marilyn Manson. Add a soundtrack to the most pissed off fucker on earth and it’s gonna sound something like every one of Marilyn Manson’s albums.

Satan worshiper or not, I say he’s just a dude who wants some real answers to some real questions instead of the propaganda drivel we’re spoon fed through the media every day. Enough of my shit… now on with the show!!

I was real happy to see Die Mannequin in the opening slot all the way across Canada as I hope it gives them the exposure they need to continue their climb to the top which I truly believe will happen.

Manson’s people allowed us ONE song to shoot from the pit, no flash of course. Albeit the song was an epic 6 minute beast “We’re From America” which afforded anyone with a 5 frame/second or more camera to knock off a jillion photos in search of the perfect pic to sum up the evening. It still would have been nice to get another song or two in as the lighting was pretty bad and I wasn’t the only one whining about it.

So the one thing I was really glad that didn’t change at all, was the fact that Marilyn Manson, probably the most controversial person the rock world has ever seen, is still good at helping you just forget about all your damn problems and just have a good time to some great music. Yes I said GREAT music. I have been a huge fan since Antichrist Superstar and every time he pulls one of those tunes out of the bag, it just takes me back and makes me smile.

Though the set was short and sweet due to a case of “throat AIDS” as Manson termed it, he still put out a decent hour and 10 minutes of good hard rock n roll. There were no huge props, no major explosions, no blood, no stilts and no pulpit but the music was there. And I still say to this day, no matter how much controversy, no matter how many schoolyard killings and suicides and all that negative shit, Manson get’s blamed for, if it wasn’t for the kick ass, catchy and entertaining music, he wouldn’t be in the position he is today.

Mike Forbes
Rebel Reviewer.Com